Echoes of the Future
by bulletproofpencil
Summary: What would you have done if you received a letter from yourself that you don't remember writing?
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: So, this was sitting, unfinished, in my Google Drive for maybe 2 years. A bit of backstory surrounding this fic: It was at a time where Volume 3 had just ended and I had no idea where the series was heading. Despite my track record of writing Lancaster fics, I was actually a hardcore Arkos shipper, but I saw the red flags of death way before the end of Volume 3 reared its head. I started thinking inwardly about situations out of my control, and what I'd do to change them. If I had a hint of what I should have done, maybe things might have turned out differently.**

* * *

"Jaune,

Follow these instructions carefully. Today, you will be flying to Beacon academy, make sure you stay close to a trash can or a toilet. When you get off the flight, almost immediately, you will hear an explosion. Instead of running away, I want you to calmly walk towards it and talk to the first girl you see when the smoke clears. While getting ready for initiation the day after you land, there will be a girl with white hair wearing white clothes, it can't be hard to miss. I know what mom said, but again, try not to act cool, you'll end up looking like an idiot. I can't tell you what will happen during initiation, but all I can say is that everything will be alright.

Do some training, trust me, you'll need it. You need to remember that you're starting at a handicap compared to everyone on that ship. Having the strength to take down a grimm isn't enough. I can't tell you why, but you absolutely need to unlock your semblance before your first mission. Unfortunately, the rules prevent me from mentioning the important bits, but I can tell you how to improve. Remember these instructions and burn this note as soon as you finish reading it. No one must find out about its existence.

-Jaune"

'This is definitely a joke,' Jaune thought as he stared at the letter dumbfounded.

Jaune looked around, waiting, for anyone to jump out and yell 'got you.' But no one did. Thinking nothing of it, he decided to shove the letter into his backpack before throwing his duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Don't worry mom, I'll be okay," Jaune said softly as he walked down the trail before stopping to briefly look back at his family's home, "I'll be a hero just like dad was."

The dim glow of morning soon came as Jaune trekked to the airship station. He looked up in awe of the massive Atlesian-manufactured transport as he stood in line waiting to board. The area was filled with the loud buzzing chatter of excited students, either showing off or talking about the possibilities of what might happen during their time at the academy.

The knight looked around and took in the luxurious decor of the airship. He eyed a single trash can and hastily took the seat closest to it, not wasting any time getting comfortable in his small corner. Jaune dug through his bag to pull out the note and ponder the meaning of the small piece of paper.

'It's gotta be one of the girls playing a prank on me,' Jaune thought to himself, 'but the handwriting is too much like mine to be fake. And why would I need to stay by a trash can?'

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister's going to Beacon with me," Jaune looked up to see another blond hugging another girl clad in black and red, "this is the best day ever."

'Must be nice going into this with people you know,' Jaune thought to himself, reminded of his circumstances, 'Maybe it's better that I'm on my own. If I can get through Beacon with my own power, then I know I'll become the hero I'm meant to be.'

After sitting anxiously for longer than he'd like, the knight put away the note once again and stood up to take in the view. He watched idly as the scenery of the lush green forest below went by while the view of Beacon Academy slowly crept into the corner of his eye. Jaune turned his focus to the tower that overlooked the rest of the campus, absentmindedly staring while he sorted through his thoughts.

'So that's Beacon, huh? The place where some of the greatest warriors and heroes are made,' Jaune rested a hand against the glass panel, 'But what if I don't measure up? I know can't do anything that those transcripts say I can do. Hell, I don't even think I can kill a Grimm on my own. Oh God, what if someone notices?'

Jaune continued to doubt himself more as the airship approached Beacon's landing strip, the headmaster's tower began to seem more like a surveillance tower waiting for him to make his first mistake. He hadn't even stepped one foot into the school, yet its eyes were already watching and waiting to expose him for the fraud he is. Despair and anxiety began to well up in the young huntsman to be. He looked away feeling uneasy, losing his footing as soon as he attempted to step away from the window. Quickly losing his bearings, his eyes darted around the ship to look for the trash can he had sat close to earlier only to find it on the other side of the spinning room.

"I guess the view isn't for everyone," Jaune heard the same voice as he made a beeline for the trash can.

As he emptied his guts into the metal bin, he heard the girl in red shout, "Oh, Yang, gross, you have puke on your shoe."

'Shit, well, I guess I'll have to apologize for that later,' Jaune thought, as he felt the ship land. Still feeling queasy, he managed to hold down the contents of his stomach long enough for him to gather his belongings to make it to the first trash can he saw on the ground.

"Turbulence got to you, huh?" Jaune turned his head slightly to catch a glimpse of bronze armor before resuming his vomit session.

"Sure, let's say that," the young knight replied in between retches.

"If it makes you feel any better, many huntsmen and huntresses that I've encountered struggle with motion sickness as well," the voice came again. Unable to respond, Jaune simply held out a thumbs-up, "Well, I hope you feel better soon. I'll see you around, I guess."

Spitting out the last of the bile that remained in his mouth, shrugging off the incident by blaming the turbulence. He popped a couple breath mints to get rid of the taste of vomit that lingered. Turning to face Beacon Academy's entrance, wondering what sort of challenges he'll face during his time here.

'I'll probably be doing a ton of training, maybe I'll get good enough to kill a Grimm, although that _is_ in the job description. I wonder if I'll meet any cute girls,' Jaune continued to let his thoughts wander until the sound of a small explosion caught his attention. His eyes widened while his jaw dropped, the breath mints threatening to fall out, realizing the legitimacy of the note, 'No way.'


	2. Weiss' Letter

**Author's Note: Okay, I can't be the only one who makes comparisons between Ruby and the Flash. I mean, they're both red-themed and they both go fast. Do you guys think that Ruby taps into the RWBY-Force? No? Alright, I can feel everyone's collective facepalms. I'll just go crawl back into my basement and write the next chapter.**

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" the woman cloaked in red heard from behind her as she closed the locker door, "It's going to hurt."

"I know, but we need his semblance as soon as possible," she replied after turning to face a figure cloaked in black.

"But what if he can't save you?" the man in the black hood argued, his aged armor resisting his movements, "What if it doesn't work and I can't save you in time? What if you disappear?"

"You need to have more faith in yourself," Ruby smiled from under her hood.

Letting his hood down, Jaune frowned in response. Sitting down, he attempted to relieve the burden he felt on his shoulders, "I- _We_ can't lose you too. If you die today, then we lose everything."

"Hey, no. Stop it," Ruby's smile faltered slightly as she pulled the weary knight's head into a comforting embrace. Her heart twinging at the thought of what she might lose if the mission succeeded, "I'm not going anywhere. I know you'll come through for me, you always do."

"But this will be the first time that I have to come to your rescue," Jaune sighed, "What if our plan doesn't work?"

"Then I guess you'll have to make sure my knight in shining armor does his job," Ruby winked.

"Shut up, you hate having to be saved by the 'knight in shining armor,'" Jaune smirked as Ruby pulled him to his feet.

"Only if that knight isn't you," Ruby mumbled under her breath.

"Did you say something?" Jaune asked as he pulled his hood back over his head.

"We gotta go," Ruby spoke up, "out of sight, remember?"

"Right, let's head to the relic site," Jaune replied.

"I'll race ya," Ruby playfully pushed Jaune to the side before disappearing into the distance in a red blur.

"You are so on, Rubes," Jaune stretched his calves and hamstrings before assuming a racing position. Concentrating his aura to the soles of his feet, he pictured the relic site before disappearing in a silver blur out into the soft glow of the new dawn.

Soon after the pair of travelers left, students began trickling into the locker room to gather their weapons. All freshmen, some excited and ready to take on their new challenge, others anxiously trembling in fear of the trials to come. The buzzing chatter from the previous day had only grown since as the students began to form connections and friendships, only amplified by the echo of the locker room.

Weiss swept a few stray strands of hair out of her eyes, tucking them behind her ear, before entering the code to her locker. After retrieving Myrtenaster from its custom stand, she fastened it to her belt before noticing out of the corner of her eye an envelope taped to the inside of the locker door. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, Weiss plucked the envelope from the door and unfolded the puzzling letter.

"Weiss,

Today is initiation day and some infuriating things may happen to you in the next few hours. No matter what happens today, whether you become team leader or not, you must respect the Headmaster Ozpin's decision. Being part of a team isn't about stroking your own ego, it's about lifting each other up to become better than who you were before. Being a team leader is a massive responsibility that's more of a burden than a boon, you need to ask yourself if you're ready to shoulder not only your own failures, but the failures of three other people.

Your teammate may be insufferable, but she'll grow on you. Some days she'll drive you insane, but in other ways she'll help you grow to be a better person. You'll learn to care about her, but there will be a moment where she will be in grave danger. Now I know your first impulse will be to try and save her, but don't. You will needlessly lose your life if you do. Don't worry, things will turn out alright.

-Weiss

P.S. Don't be too hard on Jaune. He's not that bad of a guy."

Her eyes widened in fear, 'I'm going to lose my life? This has to be some sort of prank. Or is this a threat on my life? And who the heck is Jaune?'

Before she could think too long on the note, she noticed the locker next to her slamming shut. Turning her head in that direction, she realized who she was standing next to. The unmistakably flowing red hair, the iconic bronze armor, without a doubt it had to be her. After hastily throwing the letter back into the locker, she fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, steeling her nerves against the intimidating aura that the warrior seemed to exude. She couldn't miss this rare opportunity.

"So, Pyrrha," Weiss started, quickly composing herself before the champion, "have you given any thought to whose team you would like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself."

"Hmm, I'm not quite sure," Pyrrha replied in a relaxed, yet comfortable tone, "I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may."

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together," Weiss eagerly suggested.

"Well, that sounds grand," Pyrrha ecstatically replied, 'Weiss Schnee, huh? Finally, someone who understands what it's like being looked at by society as some sort of unapproachable goddess.'

"Great!" Weiss emphatically yelped in response, 'This will be perfect. The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class. Together we will be unstoppable. I can see it now: we'll be popular, we'll be celebrities, we'll get perfect grades. Nothing can come between us now.'

"You know what else is great? Me, Jaune Arc, nice to meet you," a lunk of black, white and orange stepped in between Weiss and Pyrrha, snapping the former out of her musings.

'Oh for crying out- oh, so that's Jaune. Ugh, how annoying,' Weiss thought before defensively crossing her arms, "You again?"

Pyrrha stepped between Weiss and Jaune, introducing herself, "Nice to meet you, Jaune."

"Er, um," Jaune awkwardly hesitated to continue, the words of the letter flashing across his vision, 'I know what mom said, but try not to act cool, you'll end up looking like an idiot.'

"What do you want, you bumbling buffoon?" Weiss demanded, 'Probably trying to court me because I'm a Schnee. Just like the rest of them.'

'Well, dad always said to just be myself,' Jaune took a deep breath, "Weiss, right? I just overheard you talking about me yesterday. If I didn't know any better, I could assume you were making fun of me, but I thought I'd get to know _you_ better before I assumed the worst."

."I- uh," Weiss stuttered, 'Crap, what did I even say yesterday? All I remember is getting mad at that Ruby girl and that blonde bimbo.'

"I've been hearing rumors about teams, and I thought I'd scout out who I'd maybe want on my team," Jaune mimicked Weiss' stance, crossing his arms confidently, "Maybe either of you would want in on Team Arc? The, uh, official name is still in the works."

"What a coincidence, Weiss and I were just talking about teams," Pyrrha chimed in, "I think the teams are comprised of four students each."

"You don't say. Well, hot stuff, what do you say, wanna join the winning team?" Jaune pressed a finger to his chest, eliciting a small giggle from the spartan champion.

"Jaune, was it?" Weiss interrupted, stepping between the two, "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

"Are you referring to her or yourself, snow angel?" Jaune raised a hand to his chin, "Come to think of it, I have no idea who either of you are. I only know your name because of Ruby."

"This is Pyrrha," Weiss motioned to her fellow initiate, "Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum."

"Never heard of it," Jaune raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Weiss exhaled in frustration at the knight's ignorance, "She's won the Mistral Regional Tournament four years in a row, a new record."

"Who the what, now?" Jaune answered, the look of confusion still splashed across his face, to Weiss' irritation.

"She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!" Weiss exclaimed, flailing her arms.

Jaune gasped, giddy to meet the face of his favorite cereal, "That's you? They only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters."

"Yeah, it was pretty cool," Pyrrha replied, entertained to finally meet someone who was unaware of her notoriety, "Sadly the cereal isn't very good for you."

"So, after hearing all this, do you really think you're in a position to ask _her_ to be on your team?" Weiss asked, firmly clenching her teeth in irritation, 'That ought to shut him up.'

"I guess not," Jaune sighed in defeat, staring at the ground dejected, "sorry."

"Actually, Jaune," Pyrrha said, placing an arm on Jaune's shoulder to console him, "I think you'd make a great leader."

"You think so?" Jaune perked up.

"Well, you certainly do have a welcoming personality," Pyrrha shot an encouraging smile, "a good leader knows how to take the input of others to heart and put it to good use. Wouldn't you agree, Weiss?"

"I- I guess you're not wrong," Weiss begrudgingly agreed, "But you shouldn't be encouraging this type of behavior."

"Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for Team Arc," Jaune goofily grinned, quickly stepping over to Weiss, "what do you say? It'll be a lot of fun, we could do team building exercises, get to know each other over coffee, why don't we exchange numbers now so we can communicate during initiation?"

"Alright, that's a bit too close," Weiss said, taking a few small steps back, "Pyrrha, a little help please?"

Jaune turned to Pyrrha, but was caught off guard by her flying spear barely missing his face and snagging his hood, sticking him to the wall behind him. Pyrrha, almost regretting her actions, called out, "I'm sorry."

"Attention, will all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation. Again, all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff immediately," Glynda's voice announced over the PA system.

"Nice meeting you," Pyrrha said before retrieving her weapon from Jaune's hood and the wall before walking off.

"Likewise," Jaune replied, still dazed, falling to the ground after being released.

"Having some trouble there, lady killer?" Yang asked as she and Ruby walked up to check on their new friend.

"Could have gone worse," Jaune grinned, taking Ruby's hand.

"You know, 'Snow Angel' probably wasn't the best start," Yang teased before following the herd of students.

"Come on, Jaune," Ruby said as she took Jaune's arm over her shoulder, "Let's go."

.

.

.

"Black, huh?" Jaune smirked, binoculars held up to his eyes, his vision darting around to each of the falling students, "I should have guessed by now."

"Huh?" Ruby asked confused, dropping her pair of binoculars then blushing as she realized where her partner was looking. She fruitlessly punched his armored ribs, to which Jaune snickered, "Shut up, they were my lucky pair."

"And they're all below the treeline," Jaune ignored Ruby's complaints, "They should be here in about an hour or two. You really think the plan will work?"

"It has to," Ruby answered, meeting her partner's gaze before jumping to the next perch, "We all need to be stronger before our first mission."

"Where are the others?" Jaune asked, following in suit, "Or should I ask when are the others?"

"Ren and Blake are somewhere in this time period deep behind enemy lines," Ruby replied as she put on her grimm mask, "Nora and Yang should be preparing contingencies during present day's Team RWBY's first mission. Weiss is hiding out in Shione Village to prevent bandit raids."

"Don't you mean future Team RWBY?" Jaune corrected as he put on his own disguise.

"Oh shut up, you know what I mean," Ruby punched Jaune's breastplate once more, to his amusement.


	3. Diverging

**Author's Note: I know it's been a long ass time, but I've just been extremely busy. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy.**

* * *

"Jaune Arc, you have been charged with altering past events for personal gain, murder of the first degree, and theft," the judge looked at the former knight hero with contempt, "How do you plead and what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I plead not guilty," Jaune stared into the judge's eyes, showing no remorse for his crimes, "Why is it so wrong? I saved a friend, and changed the fate of Remnant. Might I remind all of you that most of you were dead before I came back?"

"It's not about the results or the reasons, Mr. Arc, it's about the principle," the judge angrily replied, "Are you saying you don't regret your actions?"

"Let's put it this way, Judge Torchwick, if I had to do it all over again, I would," Jaune knowingly smiled.

Torchwick stared, mouth agape, at the knight's audacity, "Given all this evidence-"

"That you can't even prove," Jaune interrupted.

"Like I said, given the evidence-"

"What evidence?" Jaune interrupted once more, "Everything you've shown me _and_ the jury is just a collection of lies meant to hide the fact that-"

"That's it, you're guilty of everything I just said earlier _and_ I'm charging you with contempt of court," Torchwick furiously slammed the gavel down, a victorious smirk appearing on his face, "Any last words before I give you your sentence?"

"Yeah, do you happen to have the time?" Jaune simply asked.

"Oh, um," Torchwick scrambled for his scroll, disarmed by the strange request, "it's about noon."

"Oh, would you look at the time," Jaune nonchalantly waltzed over to the seat next to his lawyer, silently taking the beacon device that had been taped to the bottom of the table in front of him, "as much as I'd love to play this 'he said, she said' game, it seems like my ride is here."

All eyes were on the former hero, the room patiently waiting for anything to happen. Torchwick looked around nervously before deciding to break the silence, "Um, okay?"

"Stupid faulty transmitter, I knew I shouldn't have trusted Ruby with it, it's also a gun my ass," Jaune muttered under his breath as he fiddled with the device, tapping it against the edge of the table.

"Well, I guess you're right?" Torchwick agreed in confusion, still anxiously scanning the room, "Because I sentence you to life of hard labor in the Dust mines with no chance of parole. Bailiff, get this weirdo out of here."

Just as the large muscular officer approached Jaune, an inky portal opened up behind the defendants' table. Thinking quickly, Jaune dove under the table, covering the back of his head in the process as a bullet of electricity flew from the portal before stunning the bailiff. Stepping through the portal, gun raised, Ruby opened fire on the room upon entrance.

"You're late," Jaune pulled himself to his feet before dusting off, "Timeline and date of origin?"

"I'm _your_ Ruby, dumbass," Ruby answered, dropping Jaune's gear onto the defendant's table.

"If you're really _my_ Ruby, then where did I take you on our first date?" Jaune asked before breaking his handcuffs.

"Trick question, we were never romantically involved," Ruby answered, turning away to allow Jaune to change and to hide the slight blush that crept across her face.

"That's pretty disappointing," Jaune shrugged as he wiggled out of his prisoner jumpsuit, "The timelines are starting to get jumbled up in my head."

"How many loops so far?" Ruby asked, "What's changed so far?"

"We're already on the third loop," Jaune answered as he stuck his head through his hoodie, "Torchwick was my judge this time, meaning he survived the attack on Beacon. I have no idea who the Bailiff is, never seen him before. We lost Pyrrha during initiation, and you have both your eyes this time. Other than that, we still need Pyrrha if we're going to win this."

" _This_ time?!" Ruby exclaimed in shock.

"Hey, quit complaining, at least you're alive in this loop," Jaune turned his head in Ruby's direction, his eyes lingering on her left eye. Images of blood and tears dripping down her cheek flashed across his vision. Turning away, he quickly avoided her concerned gaze.

"I _died_ in a previous loop?" Ruby demanded to know.

"Everyone has died at least once in the past loops," Jaune stared at his feet in shame, "even me."

.

.

.

"Ruby?!" Jaune cried out her name. Even with his hands pressed to her abdomen, he could still feel her life escaping between his fingers, "Come on, Ruby, you need to stay with me. What about all that talk about becoming a hero?"

"Jaune, you need to go," Ruby whispered, her voice weakening by the second, "it's too late for me, but you can live another day."

"We need to go," Blake screamed before firing at the nevermore overhead.

"We are _not_ leaving Ruby behind," Yang argued as she got into a defensive position.

"Ruby, I'm gonna get you out of here," Jaune hastily slid his hands under her petite frame, lifting her up as gently as he possibly could, "

"I don't think I can anymore," Ruby coughed, blood spraying from her mouth. She struggled to breath as she reached out to Jaune's face, "just don't break down again when I'm gone, okay?"

"Jaune, what are you doing?" Pyrrha cried out, "The ice won't hold any longer."

Jaune squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact, just as the ice wall that had been protecting him and Ruby shattered. The numbing silence of pain and near-death came to him, his entire short life came in flashes. Tears fell. He couldn't save Ruby, or himself. If he couldn't even do that, then there's no way on remnant he could protect anyone.

"If you could change history, what would you do differently?" Jaune heard the question ring loudly in his head.

"If I just had the power, I…. I wouldn't let my friends die like this," Jaune sobbed out loud, his eyes still tightly shut.

"Any regrets?" Taken aback by the question, Jaune finally opened his eyes.

Jaune looked down at his younger self, distraught, and holding his dead future partner, _his_ friend. Future Jaune looked back to the tree line, he watched his Ruby flicker in and out of existence. Turning back, he placed a hand on his younger self's head. In an instant, the younger Jaune felt an intense pressure entering his mind, the world around him began to disintegrate into a white light that approached him. He screamed in agony while his vision began to fade to white.

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't fast enough," Jaune heard Weiss' voice, frightened, regretful.

"We need to go," Blake screamed before firing at the nevermore overhead.

"We are _not_ leaving Ruby behind," Yang argued as she got into a defensive position.

Jaune looked around, disoriented by the flash of white. He watched the friends he had just met struggle to barely keep the grimm at bay. He looked down at his bloodied hands pressed against the hole in her abdomen, then back to Ruby's face quickly losing color. A lump formed in his throat while all he could manage to get out was, "You're going to be okay, Ruby, just don't give up on me."

"Just go, Jaune," Ruby spoke softly.

"I'm not leaving any friends behind," Jaune calmly replied before taking a breath. His hands began to glow, aura pouring from his palms, "that _especially_ means you."

Ruby felt warmth return to her fingers, the sensation of cold air in her throat pleasantly stung, and a newfound sense of adrenaline rush coursed through her entire being. She struggled against the pain to sit up, raising her head to Jaune and Wiess, she confidently smirked, "Then let's kick some butt, I have a plan."

.

.

.

"Doesn't matter how many times I watch it, I still feel the need to say that that's badass," Jaune remarked, binoculars glued to his face.

"We both know that's nothing compared to what _we've_ gone through," Ruby tried her best to downplay the accomplishment, her face flushed with embarrassment, "and please tell me you're not still creeping on younger me."

"I totally mean that. Come on, give yourself some credit, you dragged a nevermore up the side of a cliff, in the original timeline, I couldn't even swing my sword correctly," Jaune lowered his binoculars to give Ruby a look of sincerity.

"Really?" Ruby smiled, boastfully crossing her arms, "Well, I _was_ the combat genius who was admitted into Beacon two years early."

"I have to say though, you've always had a nice ass," Jaune noted the subtle movements of a dim blur of red and orange in the distance beyond the younger Ruby then snickered as soon as he heard a hard _clunk_ against his armor.

"Creep," Ruby muttered.

"You know, I don't actually mean any of that, I just say it cause it's funny when you're like that," Jaune looked to Ruby, the same dumb smile plastered across his face.

"Jackass," Ruby muttered in response.

 _Clunk._

Jaune snickered once more in response.


	4. Mistakes of the Past

**Author's note: I bet y'all thought I was dead, but you can't get rid of me that easily. Life's been kicking me in the dick, so I haven't really found a lot of time to write. I love sleep more than I love writing.**

* * *

"Must be painful to watch," Ruby remarked, her voice devoid of emotion.

"You're telling me, he- uh. I- uh. That idiot should have _my_ memories," the hooded swordsman hissed, keeping note of his volume, "He should have the experience of a battle-hardened war veteran and the reflexes of a seasoned gamer."

The pair of onlookers watched as a younger Cardin Winchester deliver a blow to a younger Jaune's crotch. The male members of audience audibly recoiled in response. Cardin looked down in pity at the less experienced huntsman in training before lazily exiting the training arena, leaving a dazed Jaune behind.

"I know I said this the first time around, but that's _got_ to hurt," Ruby giggled.

"It did," Jaune snapped back in response, "and shut up."

"Oooh, nice come back," Ruby sneered at her partner, "you gonna call me stupid too?"

"Stupid," Jaune blushed, his face flustered with frustration, he turned his attention back to the front of the classroom.

"There it is, the signature Arc wit," Ruby retorted, _finally_ having the upper hand since their mission had begun.

"I said shut up," Jaune responded more sternly, his mind starting to ache, "we need to go."

"What's wrong?" Ruby mockingly asked, "Big boy can't handle being buwied by his pawtnew?"

"How the hell does Weiss even put up with you?" Jaune said under his breath, "No, that's not it. The mission's changed. We need to get to our next location ahead of schedule."

"What about monitoring this era of the timeline?" Ruby looked around in confusion, her hand resting on Crescent Rose.

"No need," Jaune answered as he opened up a portal to their new destination before stepping through, "I got all the information we need."

"Are you sure it's alright?" Ruby hesitated, staring back at a seemingly distraught younger Jaune. Before she could intervene any further, her partner's hand reached back, pulling her through the portal.

"Don't worry, I won't make the same mistakes this time around," Jaune smirked, making eye contact with his younger self. A nod was all it took to confidently move forward.

Present-day Jaune dusted himself off as Goodwitch finished her lecture, responding in kind, "Ah, you're right. I really should practice my defense more."

The young knight excused himself as the bell rang, making his way through the cafeteria line and to his usual seat with the rest of his and Ruby's team. Jaune silently picked at his food whilst studying for the next round of exams, passively listening to Nora's outrageous story. Pyrrha and Ruby worriedly observed his odd behavior, never seeing their usually talkative and upbeat friend so quiet.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Pyrrha asked, finally breaking the ice.

Snapping out of his intense concentration, Jaune responded, keeping his eyes fixated on his notes, "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Why?"

"It's just that you seem a little," Ruby hesitated a bit, "not okay."

"Guys, I'm fine," Jaune raised his gaze to meet theirs, giving an awkward smile and a thumbs-up, "See?"

"Jaune, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school," Pyrrha reminded.

"What? Who, Cardin Winchester?" Jaune responded, feigning ignorance, "He just likes to mess around, you know? Practical jokes."

"He's a bully," Ruby flatly said, her eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"Oh please," Jaune waved off their concern, "Name one time he's 'bullied' me."

"He slaps your books out your hands like a stereotypical movie bully," Nora spoke up.

"What about that time he deployed your shield in the doorway?" Blake chimed in.

"Oh, I got one!" Yang ecstatically raised her hand, "The rocket locker incident."

"Okay, that one was actually pretty funny looking back on it," Jaune chuckled as his friends all stared in concern. Trying to ease the tension, he tried brushing it off with a smile, "I didn't land far from the school."

"You know if you ever need help, you can just ask," Pyrrha reminded him, hoping she can get through her leader's thick skull.

"Ooh," Nora exclaimed, standing up for emphasis, "We'll break his legs."

"Guys, really, I'm fine," Jaune said as he packed his things for his next class, "I can handle myself. Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me, he's a jerk to everyone."

As the fearless leader walked off, the sounds of laughter and mockery could be heard from Team CRDN's table. The rest of the group could only watch as Velvet walked away in shame, embarrassed by her Faunus heritage. Blake struggled to restrain herself, trembling in anger while she was reminded of the torment she experienced throughout her childhood.

"Atrocious," Pyrrha spat out in disgust, turning back to the group, "I can't stand people like him."

"He's not the only one," Blake sighed, feeling defeated by the current relationship that certain humans have with Faunus. She attempted to escape the harsh reality by returning her attention back on her book.

"It must be hard being a Faunus," Yang absent-mindedly let out in sympathy.

Jaune picked up the sandwich off his tray before setting his dishes onto the conveyor belt. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he finished off his food as he walked off to his next class, hoping to find a quieter spot to study. Reaching the classroom, he plopped into his seat and pulled out his notes. After finishing off his homework, he cursed his past self for foolishly staying up to play video games the night before as he began to drift off to dreamland. A few minutes of shuteye before the lecture wouldn't hurt.

A tap to the back of his head interrupted his nap, subtly waving his hand away from his face before pulling it back down down. Much to his surprise Professor Oobleck was already in the middle of his lecture, wired and ready to jump at any movement. Unfortunately for Jaune, he had already caught his professor's attention.

"Mr. Arc!" Professor Oobleck zoomed to the front of his desk, "Finally contributing to the class. Excellent! What is the answer?"

"The answer?" Jaune looked at his instructor, dazed and confused, "Could you repeat the question?"

"What advantage did the Faunus have over General Lagune's forces?" The professor impatiently repeated himself, tapping his foot in anticipation.

"Right, during the great war," Jaune reminded himself, quickly searching his past and future memories, "the Faunus' biology differs slightly from humans', given their animalistic traits. Some breeds of Faunus are born with a tapetum, a structure behind the retina that reflects light back to their photoreceptors. This effectively gives them night vision or, more accurately, allows them to see more clearly in situations with low levels of light."

"That's wro-," the professor stuttered, "Correct. I'm very impressed with your knowledge of biology, Mr. Arc."

"You and me, both," Jaune said under his breath, new information rushing into his head, "I didn't even know that I knew that."

"It seems we have run out of time," Oobleck announced amidst the echoing sound of the class packing up, "I understand that history can be dry at times, but it is important to learn from the mistakes of our past. If you can't learn from it, you're destined to repeat it. Pages fifty-one to ninety-one, I expect an essay by the start of next class period."

"Teacher's pet," Cardin said as he shoved Jaune to the ground, the latter's head landing square under Weiss' skirt. The former laughed as he watched the heiress land a kick to Jaune's temples before running off, sauntering off himself.

"Just say the word, and I'll break his legs," Pyrrha assured Jaune, helping him up.

"I told you, I'm fine," Jaune sighed, tenderly rubbing the lump on his head.

"I have an idea," Pyrrha said, suddenly dragging Jaune along with her, "Here come with me."

The two walked into the cool breeze that caressed the roof of their dorms. Jaune walked ahead, taking in the calming view of Vale's skyline, his head still aching from processing the new information left by his older self. The feeling of déjà vu slowly coming to rest on his shoulders, pressing down with such an immense guilt that he swore he could have fallen through the ceiling at any moment.

"Pyrrha, I know that I'm going through a hard time right now, but I'm not _that_ depressed," Jaune repeated verbatim, lightening his mood.

"No!" Pyrrha quickly pulled Jaune away from the rooftop's edge in horror, "That's not why I brought you up here. Jaune, I know you're having a hard time in class and that you're still not the strongest of fighters. So, I wanted to help you."

Jaune broke out into laughter, "Oh man, you should have seen the look on your face. You really thought I'd jump?"

"W-what?" Pyrrha looked on in confusion, "Jaune, I'm serious. We could train up here."

"I know, I know," Jaune held up his hands, catching his breath, "I know you're all worried, but believe me, I'm seriously fine."

"I know humor can take the edge off, but dealing with it like this isn't healthy," Pyrrha said, concern for her leader's mental health growing.

"Okay, I get you don't believe me, so I guess I'll have to show you," Jaune said, reaching out as his locker landed in front of him, retrieving his equipment. Pyrrha bashfully covered her eyes and turned away while Jaune stripped off his uniform, quickly changing into his combat gear, "You'll find that I'm just a bit different than when we first met."

Following suit, Pyrrha called her locker and dashed off to the stairwell to change. After watching their lockers fly off into the distance, the two readied their stance. Pyrrha smirked at her partner's gall to challenge her in such a way, "As memory serves, I'm sure Weiss has warned you that I'm a world class fighter."

Jaune gripped his sword with both hands, his shield still in its sheath form hanging from his belt. Taking initiative, he instantaneously closed the distance, his sword coming straight down, barely giving Pyrrha time to block with her shield. Locking eyes, he simply said, "Don't hold back now."

Pushing back, Pyrrha swung her spear into Jaune's side. Dropping his stance and ducking, Jaune swept his leg intending to knock Pyrrha off balance, only for her to flip over him, using his shoulders as support. Thinking quickly, Jaune dropped his sword and gripped Pyrrha's wrists, rolling backwards and pinning her arms to the ground. Using her legs, Pyrrha pushed Jaune away, springing back into her stance while her weapons flew back to her grip.

"Not bad," Pyrrha said, caught off guard by Jaune's sudden improvement, "but you need to remember that a fight is like a game of chess, you need to make every move count."

"Not bad yourself," Jaune shot back, eyeing his sword that laid just behind Pyrrha, "but if we're using chess as an analogy, just because I lost a piece doesn't mean I can't win the game."

Jaune placed his left foot forward and brought his fists up, mimicking Yang's southpaw stance. Pyrrha lunged forward, a round firing from the end of her spear, launching herself. Jaune stepped inward slightly, redirecting Pyrrha's spear with his wrist guard, landing a couple heavy jabs to her midsection. Stumbling back slightly, Pyrrha raised her shield just in time to block his kick, Jumping slightly to allow herself some room to recover and avoid getting knocked down. Jaune rushed forward, shield raised to block an oncoming spear thrust, using his other hand to redirect any punches directed to his right side.

The close quarters combat left almost no room for Pyrrha to swing her spear and no choice but to holster her weapon momentarily, opting for hand to hand combat. The two relentlessly exchanged blows, catching punches with hidden counters, Pyrrha eventually pushing Jaune back with a shield bash. Catching himself, Jaune launched his shield like a frisbee, bouncing off Pyrrha's block. Seeing his chance, he sprinted after it and jumping over Pyrrha, slipping his arm back into the shield straps mid-air and retrieving his sword as he rolled over it.

Coming back up, Jaune used the momentum of his roll to launch himself back towards Pyrrha, feinting a swing to which the seasoned gladiator easily saw through and prepared to counter. Keeping a safe distance and his shield raised, Jaune brought his sword back up, twirling his sword to catch her blade in the crook of his hilt. Turning his body, along with a slight jerk of his wrist, Pyrrha's spear came flying out of her hand. Completing the turn, with his arm outstretched, Jaune brought his blade to a halt just centimeters from Pyrrha's neck.

"Too slow," Jaune teased, sheathing his sword.

* * *

 _Edit: A bit of proofreading and grammar. Added a few things here and there. I originally finished and uploaded this chapter at 4 am like an idiot._


	5. What's Our Cue?

**Author's note: How tf do you write for scenes when it's just dialogue and nothing is happening around the characters.**

* * *

"Let's go over this one more time," Adam slowly paced around the interrogation room, Ren's hands cuffed to the table and his feet duct taped to his chair, "who exactly are you?"

"This is, what, the fourth or fifth time we've been over this?" Ren kept his expression as neutral as he could. Despite what he's heard about Adam's violent tendencies, the mission took priority over his safety, "I've already told you, I'm just a hired gun. Money speaks, and my employer is paying me a lot of money to help you out."

"Then why do you look like that Beacon student who's always hanging around Blake?" Adam demanded, stabbing his sword through the table between Ren's arms and legs.

Flinching, Ren took a moment to recompose himself. Taking a deep breath, he calmly answered, "It's merely a coincidence. After all, people of similar geographical and genetic origins tend to have similar physical traits, no?"

"He's right, you know," an observing White Fang guard interrupted, "For all we know they could be distant relatives that never met or something like that. Mystralians _do_ have pretty large families."

"That's a pretty racist stereotype," Ren glared daggers at the guard, ice in his voice.

"No one asked you, Kevin!" Adam turned his head, the veins in his neck throbbing as his anger boiled.

The guard averted his eyes downward, uncomfortably shuffling his feet in place. Ren broke into a smile, chuckling at the how easily the guard was swayed, "Man, you really can't take a joke, can you? I couldn't care less about family or race. All I care about is completing my mission."

"And what exactly _is_ your mission?" Adam turned his head back to his captor, his nose getting uncomfortably close to Ren's face, voice deepening to a low growl as he stared straight into his captor's eyes.

"Isn't it obvious by now?" Ren confidently smiled, staring back into the abyss that sat right behind a white mask, "You _need_ my help because right now, you're just a fish out of water floundering about with no particular end-goal."

"I _have_ a goal!" Adam argued, turning to pace the room again, "You _humans_ look down on us like some second-rate citizens, but I'll show you. I'll show you all!"

"Show me what?" Ren asked, his hands now free, scratching his head in confusion. Turning his head back, Adam drew his katana pointing the tip of his blade at Ren. Holding his hands up, and reflexively jumping the chair back slightly, Ren gingerly moved the blade away from his chest ever so cautiously with his index finger, "Whoa now, no need for violence. Just put the weapon down and let's talk about this."

Adam paused, taken aback by Ren's bravado. Slowly reaching for his twin pistols and steadily pulling them up, Ren kept them cautiously pointed up. Seeing the weapons, Adam pointed his blade back towards Ren's chest, tensed and ready to strike. Ren retracted the blades and unloaded the clips, making a point to unchamber any loaded rounds, before setting Stormflower onto the table and off to the side, showing that he meant no harm. Appreciating the gesture, Adam sheathed his blade, setting it within arm's reach before taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.

.

.

.

"Pieces are in position," Blake whispered into her headset as she pressed her body as close to the rooftop as possible, "Black knight and Yellow Haven surveilling the docks."

"Copy that, any changes to the timeline in this era?" Ruby responded, watching Blake's surroundings from her vantage point.

"Just a few miscellaneous changes here and there," Blake answered, focusing her binoculars on an approaching airship in the distance before looking back to her present-day self, "Nothing too drastic."

"Can I get a status report on Ren?" Ruby asked.

"He's currently taking care of Adam," Blake responded, "He's getting suspicious though."

"Concurrent or otherwise?"

"Ren's about a month off."

"Gotcha."

"Griffin chow is approaching, should I intervene?"

"Negative, let the pieces play their part."

"But the dust."

"Your objective was to put the pieces into play. Do not, under any circumstances, interfere any further. Understood?"

"Got it."

"Good, I'm sending you space-time coordinates for the rendezvous point. Head to your next objective and pick up Ren when he's done. Stay hidden in the meantime."

.

.

.

Adam slammed his cup onto the table, his sword clattering to the ground, "She just left me there, man. I thought she was the love of my life."

Ren sipped on his water as he awkwardly pat Adam's back in an attempt to comfort him, "I get it, that really must have hurt. I, too, have lost someone dear to me."

"See? This guy gets me, Kevin," Adam turned his head, singling out the only guard in the room, "Get me another beer."

"So, tell me, what is it you're _really_ fighting for?" Ren asked, signaling with his hands for the guard not to bring more alcohol.

"But my name's Andrew," the guard meekly replied before leaving the room.

"I thought," Adam sniffled between words, "I thought if I could prove myself as a capable leader, maybe, just maybe, she'd come back. Fight for Faunus domination together, you know?"

"Don't you think the stalking is just a little creepy?" Ren suggested, offering a cup of water to his apparently new friend.

"I know but I just can't help myself," Adam drunkenly whined, "Have you ever loved someone so much that you just can't bear to be separated from them?"

Ren paused as he thought for a moment, an annoying pink blur flashed across his wide-eyed vision. Endless memories of a grating voice asking for pancakes bombarded his psyche like the bombs that destroyed Beacon Academy. Snapping back to reality, he turned back to Adam and simply said, "Yes."

"It's all because she decided to side with the humans," Adam spat before bringing the cup of water to his mouth, slamming it back down empty, "After everything they've done to torment our kind, why would she do that?"

"The original goal of the White Fang was to get humans and Faunus to coexist peacefully, wasn't it?" Ren inquired, "What have you done to achieve this goal?"

"Don't get all high and mighty with that morality bullshit," Adam lashed out, swatting Ren's hand away, "We tried to do this peacefully. All the protests and boycotts didn't do a damn thing, they didn't start listening until we started getting violent. That proves that the ends justify the means."

"Alright, well look at it this way," Ren said, switching directions as he refilled Adam's cup, "say you achieve world domination, if that's what you're going for. Faunus take over the kingdoms or completely destroy them and rule over humans."

"I like where this is going," Adam rested his hand on his chin, envisioning Ren's words in his mind, "go on."

"What happens then?" Ren continued, "Would you treat them the same way they've treated you?"

"That sounds like a Faunus paradise," Adam wistfully answered, his upper body sinking further onto the table, "The humans would get what they deserve, and we finally get the retribution that we've been fighting for. Oh, but not you, you're pretty cool."

"Right, so you subject us to the same treatment and some humans a few decades down the line who were never part of this war that you're waging think it's unfair," Ren began to posit, "What do you think will happen when they do the exact same thing that you're doing?"

"We'll stomp them into the ground to protect what we've built," Adam slurred, raising a fist in victory.

"Ah, close but no dice," Ren answered.

"Aw," Adam flopped his head over in defeat.

"Alright, alright," Ren said, casually popping a pretzel into his mouth, "Let's say that you win that war and things don't change."

"I won?" Adam raised his head in glee, raising both arms, "I won!"

"Not quite," Ren corrected, amused with the unexpected turn of events, "Let's say that you keep winning, and a century down the line the roles are reversed. No one seems to know why Faunus and Humans hate each other, but this time it's humans in your exact predicament."

"That -hic- that means we won, right?" Adam asked, barely keeping himself upright in his chair.

"Well, at that moment, maybe," Ren agreed, "but think about it. The fighting continues, give it another few decades and we're back to where we started."

"I take it back, I don't like where this is going," Adam said, chugging down another cup of water, "Hey, this vodka tastes kinda weird."

"That's water," Ren smiled, feeling like he'd finally gotten through to Adam. Pulling one arm over his shoulders, Ren helped Adam to the door, "Come on, let's get you someplace where you can sober up."

"Ren, have you-," Blake started as she opened the door, "What the hell happened?"

"Blake? Is that you, my love?" Adam stared up at the operative in White Fang gear.

"N-no, I'm, uh, No-Nora," Blake recoiled, her hands instinctively reaching for her weapon, "Dude, you really need to let it go."

"Haha, okay," Adam giggled, his head slumping over, "I'm drunk."

"Seriously, Ren," Blake stared in confusion, her ears drooping slightly, "What. Happened."

Ren sheepishly smiled, shrugging in response, "I honestly couldn't tell you if I tried. But hey, mission accomplished. Right?"

"You were supposed to stop the meeting," Blake berated, taking Adam by the legs.

"There were some, uh, _complications_ , I guess," Ren explained, "I dealt with it as best as I could."

"And where do you think you're going with tall, dark and brooding, _Kevin_?" Torchwick demanded, waltzing in, cutting the two off from their exit route.

"Oh, screw this," the guard at Torchwick's side threw his gun down before storming off, "If you guys aren't even going to treat me with respect, then I quit!"

"What's his deal?" Torchwick asked in confusion.

"I think his name is Andrew," Ren shrugged.

" _Thank you!"_ the guard screamed as he slammed the warehouse door behind him.

"Adam here may have had a little too much during his pre-game," Blake improvised.

'What are you-,' Ren silently mouthed to Blake.

'What was I supposed to do?' Blake mouthed back, 'We need to get out of here right now.'

"Man, I've been trying to get him to grab a drink with me for weeks," Torchwick voiced his disappointment before looking around to point at the large lieutenant, "Hey, you, Tiny, come with me. We need an understudy, after all, the show _must_ go on."

"Don't call me tiny," the lieutenant growled, reluctantly following Torchwick's instruction.

Watching the two walk off, a hint of familiarity began to creep up on her. As the realization settled onto Blake, her original memories came back to her, "Hey, Kevin, put Adam on a bench somewhere. Both of us are needed on stage."

Without any further questions the two nearest guards shrugged and proceeded to carry Adam off as he protested for more alcohol. Pulling Ren along, Blake grabbed a spare set of White Fang uniforms and headed for the nearest bathroom. Donning one of the masks, she placed the outfit in Ren's arms and shoved him into one of the stalls.

"Blake, what's going on?" Ren asked as he quickly changed.

"We had it all wrong," Blake explained while she anxiously walked along the stalls, "Our target should have been Torchwick all along. How could I have been so stupid?"

"Not that it's any of my business to remind you," Ren started as he opened the stall door, "What was our next objective?"

"Steal the Paladin prototype's black box," Blake answered, "which is why we needed to stop the meeting."

"If memory serves correctly, I distinctly remember Yang bragging about taking down Torchwick's mech with her bare hands," Ren thought back to their days at Beacon.

"You don't think….." Blake trailed off, lost in thought.

"We didn't need to stop the meeting, we just needed to target Adam," Ren suggested, "the meeting was going to happen no matter who we targeted."

"That means…" Blake tried her best to remember the events of that night, "That means I know where to go."

 _Bang_

"Don't let them get away!" Torchwick's voice followed the sound of a few gunshots.

"Think that's our cue?" Ren smirked.

"Nope," Blake held up a finger. _Crash._ " _That's_ our cue."


End file.
